Voting Rights & Redistricting

State and local elections and redistricting can be complex matters for candidates and governmental entities. The applicable state and federal law is complicated and specialized, and actions and decisions often must occur within brief time frames. Although public scrutiny and press attention can be intense, Bickerstaff attorneys are accustomed to both the fast pace and high pressure of high-profile election and redistricting matters.

Our long history of successful representation of governmental entities and private clients in redistricting and election matters throughout the state has captured statewide and national attention. Among our clients are candidates from the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, and Texas House, as well as a Chief Judge of a Court of Appeals.

Our attorneys are available to assist on elections and redistricting matters in the following areas:

Redistricting

Including evaluating redistricting requirements, completing remapping of districts in-house through the use of the firm’s map production team and map printing capabilities, advising on the consolidation of districts or creation of additional districts, assisting with the conversion from at-large to single-member voting systems, or counseling on litigation avoidance;

Voting Rights Litigation

Including representing clients in claims of racial and ethnic discrimination, “one person-one vote” violations, and “reverse discrimination” under the Voting Rights Act, the Fourteenth and the Fifteenth Amendments, and the U.S. Supreme Court’s Shaw v. Reno standards;

General and Special Elections

Includes advising clients on state election laws and procedures; advising on and coordinating local option elections and bond elections; and assisting local government entities with their elections, including ordering ballots, translating elections materials into Spanish, coordinating joint elections, verifying signatures on a petition, training election staff, obtaining polling places, supervising recounts, and handling protests.

  • preparing election schedules and deadlines
  • drafting election orders, canvasses and notices
  • establishing and mapping election precincts
  • identifying and securing polling locations
  • determining ballot styles
  • recruiting and training election officials,
  • advising on election and campaign ethics requirements
  • advising on public forum speech issues
  • ordering ballots
  • translating elections materials into Spanish
  • coordinating joint elections
  • verifying signatures on a petition
  • training election staff
  • obtaining polling places
  • supervising recounts
  • handling protests;

Election Challenges, Contests and Recounts

Including representing governmental entities and elected officials in different types of challenges, including requests for recounts, judicial contests of election results, and challenges to candidates’ qualifications.